


Can't Sleep Without You

by CPFics



Series: The Muskequeers [10]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderfluid Character, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Nightmares, Other, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 01:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2091072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CPFics/pseuds/CPFics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost exactly three years after Aramis had the worst residential trip imaginable in Savoy, Porthos has to go away for a week. Aramis' concern for Porthos doesn't help the nightmares that usually come around this time of year anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Sleep Without You

**Author's Note:**

> Some more Aramis whump because apparently that's how I roll.

Aramis had been seventeen when ne’d gone on a residential trip to Savoy with the sixth form. The trip had ended in tragedy when the camp had fallen victim to an arson attack. Ne’d come tumbling out of nir cabin alone, choking on smoke, to the sound of nir friends’ screams, caught a dark shape running away into the darkness - just enough of a glimpse to have nem waking screaming in the night from visions of a man with a flaming torch about to lay waste to nir house, nir room, nir bed. Only ne and nir friend Marsac had survived, but Marsac had died of his burns in hospital a few days later.

The third anniversary of the incident was just a few days away, and Porthos was heading off to spend a week at a police training camp with his course. He wanted to be a lawyer, not a policeman, but the force was having a recruitment drive and the university had agreed to send students from a few relevant courses along to see what it was like. Aramis clung to him at the train station as everyone loaded their luggage, burying nir face in his chest and curling nir fists into his shirt.

“I’ll be alright, Aramis,” Porthos promised. “I’ll text you every day, soon as I get up and last thing before I go to bed. And in my lunch break too, if you like.”

Aramis nodded, but didn’t let go.

“Aramis, I need you to let go or they’ll all go without me. It’s only a week.” He shot a helpless look at Athos, who stepped forward and gently pried Aramis’ fingers loose. They pulled Aramis back against their chest.

“I love you both,” said Porthos, dropping a quick kiss onto each of their foreheads before hurrying onto the train, where his friend Alice was holding the door for him.

Athos heard Aramis sniff as the train pulled away.

\--

Porthos’ good night text had arrived more than twenty-five minutes ago, but Aramis showed no signs of intending to go to bed. Ne was watching something not terribly interesting on television, and fidgeting a lot. When the show ended and Aramis still seemed determined to stay put, Athos sighed.

“You can’t stay up all night, Aramis,” they said. Aramis didn’t look at them, but nir gaze dropped from the television and ne slumped against Athos’ side. They wrapped their arms around nem. “Let’s got to bed, come on. You’ll be alright. I’m here.”

A few minutes later they were curled up in bed together, Aramis’ back to Athos’ chest, facing into the room. Aramis pulled Athos’ arm more closely around nemself, pressed a kiss to their knuckles.

“I love you,” ne said.

“I love you, too,” said Athos, their breath comfortingly warm against the back of nir neck. Aramis shifted, half-turned.

“I want to face you, but I don’t want to turn my back on the room,” ne admitted.

“What if we swap places?”

“But then you’d have your back to the room,”

“Not if I lie on my back.”

Aramis thought about this for a moment, then nodded. Athos climbed over nem, lay down on their back, pulled nem close against their side.

“Better?” they asked as Aramis curled up against them. Ne nodded again.

\--

The two of them couldn’t have slept for more than a few hours before Athos was woken by Aramis thrashing and whimpering next to them.

“Aramis,” said Athos, grasping nir shoulder. There were tears on nir cheeks. “Aramis, sweetheart, wake up. It’s just a nightmare. Wake up.”

Aramis’ eyes flew open, took a second to focus.

“‘thos?” Ne looked around the room, breathing heavily. “Where’s-? I need to talk to Porthos.”

“Aramis, it’s four in the morning.” Athos pulled them into a hug.

“No, no, no, no,” ne made a grab for Athos’ phone on the nightstand, but Athos got there first and held it out of reach. Ne sobbed. “I need to talk to Porthos!”

“Aramis, hush,” said Athos, stroking nir back. “Take a minute to calm down. If you still want to talk to Porthos afterwards, I’ll text him to see if he’s awake, okay?”

Aramis stared at them for a moment, made one last half-hearted grab for the phone, then sagged against Athos’ chest. Athos wrapped their arms around nem, muttering comfort into nir hair, feeling the tension gradually drain from nem. Eventually Aramis sighed and pushed nemself up onto one elbow, wiping the last tears from nir eyes.

“Can you text Porthos, please?” ne asked, nir voice small. Athos pressed a kiss to nir forehead.

“Okay.”

They lay in silence for a while, Athos combing their fingers through Aramis’ hair, waiting to see if Porthos would call back. Finally, Athos’ phone buzzed. They picked it up.

“Hey,” they said.

“Is ne alright?” Porthos’ voice was hushed but worried on the other end of the line.

“Ne will be. Ne just wanted to talk to you. I’ll pass you over.” They handed the phone to Aramis.

“Sorry if we woke you up,” ne said, as soon as the phone reached nir face. Ne sank back down onto Athos’ chest when Porthos’ voice replied, sighing happily. Eventually nir breathing evened out and the phone threatened to slip from nir grasp. Athos caught it.

“Ne’s asleep,” they said to Porthos, interrupting him midway through a detailed description of the building he was staying in.

“Oh, good,” he said. “I was running out of things to say.”

“Sorry for waking you up.”

“It’s OK. Sorry I had to leave you to deal with this on your own. The timing’s terrible.”

Athos smiled wryly into the dark.

“Don’t worry about us. We’ll manage. You enjoy your trip.”

“Yeah. Call again if you need anything.”

“We will. Go back to bed - you’ll need your energy.”

“Alright. Bye.”

Athos carefully set their phone back on the nightstand and lay back, matching their breathing to Aramis’. A few minutes later, they were sound asleep.


End file.
